10% redundancy for the Armed forces being considered. Apparently the money saved from undermanning was taken and spread out elsewhere to keep the ship afloat. Now with 100% manning the money is needed, but not there, driving us further into the abyss.

I think you will be surprised how much the MoD CS is in for a spanking in the next SDR. Even the internal propaganda machineis talking about further streamlining to increase efficiency (read: lose people).

The Army will also feasibly see reductions in support staff (such as stores, clerical, 3rd line maint, logs) with a view of transferring to the MoD CS (cheaper to have a civvy clerk that an AGC Cpl) irrespective of the rights and wrongs of such a course of action. That would add credence to a reduction in manpower of 10% in the Armed Forces.

Add losing 3 Inf Bns, an RAF Sqn and decomission a grey dinghy or two and it will all stack up to culling approx 10,000 uniform and losing about 20,000 CS (if the union will swallow it).

The biggest challenge the next government has is forcing the union into accepting that the taxpayer simply cannot afford to subsidise the CS forever and that modernisation and rationalisation across all Governmental departments supported by the CS is now simply unavoidable.

4EM - already happened with the good Rev. Look where that got him. Masses of support from Joe Civvy and the Forces - a prompt two fingers and sling yer hook from Downing St.

labour will simply remove the dissenters from office. They did it with the Forces, they did it with their scientific advisors, they do it all over the place. Although, I dohear that the Emperor has a new set of clothes......